Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

ca. 1907120 Broad StreetCharleston, South Carolina

Destroyed by fire in 1861, the new Cathedral, completed in 1907, was rebuilt over a period of 17 years as funds became available. In 1995, work on the Cathedral included the restoration of the ornamental plaster and the original gilding. Also included was installation of a new pipe organ and redesigned choir loft, and the phased restoration of the extraordinary stained glass windows. Work was completed in 2010 on the restoration of the brownstone exterior and construction of the new steeple. The steeple that had been planned for the 1907 cathedral was never constructed. Plans to build a steeple had been discussed since the 1960s. While the original drawings for the planned steeple did not surface, the proposed design incorporates elements from the structure's exterior and existing ornate altar. The open grillwork forming the spire allows air to flow through and minimize the wind load on the historic structure.